Scientists say social distancing is working — for a completely different disease than COVID-19 - Salon

While further studies need to be conducted in order to confirm why the Southern Hemisphere dodged the influenza bullet, public health experts say the most obvious explanation is that the same measures being used to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have a salutary effect on containing influenza.

These would include things like social distancing, wearing masks and washing hands.

"Influenza and the common cold are diseases spread person to person in much the same way as SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

"I think social distancing and masks will reduce cold/flu season and make it a really mild season," Dr.

Measures such as facial masks and social distancing have likely kept positive tests at 'historically low interseasonal levels.'".

"Biologically, both influenza and the common cold are respiratory viruses that share the same airborne modes of transmission as SARS-CoV-2," Medford told Salon.

"The use of face masks, for example, would be expected to not only protect against the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by infected persons but also influenza and the common cold.

Justin Lessler, another associate professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told Salon that while these developments are auspicious, that does not mean we aren't going to see many deaths from other infectious diseases.

"He has been totally irresponsible in the way he has handled the social distancing, the people wearing masks – basically encouraging them not to.